The Legend of Cynder: Rise of the Dragon Cult
The Legend of Cynder: Rise of the Dragon Cult is the sequel to the previous work, The Precursor Legacy. Set 800 years after the end of the previous work, It centers on the life of Cynder III, the heiress to the famed Cydonian Dynasty, as she struggles against a resurgent Koozer-Ga, later revealed to be the remnants of the Tyran Civilization, which was sopposedly destroyed by the Precursors long ago. A new faction, the Nanatalean Empire, is added, along with several new characters. The only returning character from the previous work is the vampiric cheetah, Tera. The story focuses on the characters' quest to find the scattered pieces of The Mantle, a suit of armor that renders it's user all but invulnerable-but was broken in several pieces and hidden across the galaxy and in several extra-dimensional realms by the Precursors. =Plot= Warning: Spoilers below! The story opens in the palace of Warfang, where Cynder III is hatching from an egg laid in the center of the room; when she escapes from the nursery structure she is born in, her parents, Mary and Wufgaur, are waiting to see her. When she reaches the age of 20, she is allowed to explore the Obsidian Tower, which had been sealed since the death of her ancestor, Cynder, and had since fallen into severe disrepair. After this, she is announced as the heiress to the Cydonian Dynasty, the ruling bloodline of Warfang, and told that she will be sent as an ambassador to the Nanatalean Empire. While inbound, it is reveled that the empire is at war with Lioness City, but after a disastrous encounter with a Dragon Confederation cruiser, that it's leader, Xinxala, is distraught over losing an entire regiment of Imperial riflemen at the battle.When Cynder III arrives, the panther-lady confronts the dragoness, but learns she was sent as an ambassador. After Cynder III convinces Xinxala to join her and head to Warfang, they confront the hierarchs of the Dragon Confederation High Council, who say that Cynder III is now tasked on educating her on the country's history, which leads them to enter the ancient Catacombs, where the dragoness explains the exploits of her ancestor, Neyla, and what she knows of the Koozer-Ga War. After being surprised by Delila, she learns that while she was gone, the Koozer-Ga had overran the palace, killing her parents in the process. After informing the young dragoness that she is now the only member of the royal family cabable of carrying on the royal bloodline, she also offers a chance at vengeance, but she needs to claim the pieces of a suit of armor known as the The Mantle of the Ancestors. After this, they force her to go to Cynthia where Vulcan reveals that he has found an ancient Precursor warship called Bonestellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting, and that they intend to use it to defend the city. Soon after, the Koozer-Ga are sighted outside the city, and so Cynder III and Xinxala are forced to board Unyielding Defiance . soon after this, the Parasite besieges the city. Despite fierce resistance, the entire city is overrun, forcing the council to retreat to Opheious, a lesser city-state to the west. After gathering strength, Cynder III and Xinxala are called to rally the troops, but they fear they now lack the manpower to retake the cities. Meanwhile, the human Coalition of Civilized Goverments is preparing to investigate rumors of a war in Altair system, and arrive in Warfang to find the city overrun save for the market district, which is protected by shield pylons and defended by Honor Guards led by Sasha, who has imprisoned the human soldiers in the city because a faction among them had attempted, and failed, to kill her. After capturing the tigress and forcing her to release them, they leave her in Cynthia, which is now in ruins. She joins the army and retakes the city, and soon, despite heavy losses, manage to retake Warfang. Cynder III, however, has heard that one of the pieces to the armor she is looking for is buried with Neyla, and sends Xinxala to verify this. When Makayla, the ruling hierarch in New Atlantis, verified this, she tells Xinxala where Neyla was buried, and the Panther-Lady goes any claims the mantle piece there, and stumbles onto a mysterious device that turns out to be a portal to Volingarde. After some time in this realm, Xinxala learns that Neyla had become the guardian of the Hall of Valor, The Creator's seat of power. Neyla explains that she tests those seeking entry; by sword dueling her or by remembering the cause of their demise; those who couldn't proform either task are eaten by her and thus denied an afterlife. Since Xinxala is living, however, the tigress makes the panther-lady fight her. Xinxala prevails and enters the Hall of Valor to enjoy the bounties there. Later, Tera is sent after her, the cheetah convinces the panter-lady to leave, but not before Xinxala onvokes The Creator to help her; the latter responds by resurrecting Neyla on the mortal realm. Neyla proceeds to adventure on her own near Temple Mountain., while Cynder III learns that the parasite was created by the Tyran Civilization to assault the Precursor Ecumae, and that they are coming to Altair system to devolve her civilization and strip away their technology, an act the dragoness knows will leave her people defenseless. When she tells the High Council this, they exile her and Tera to Amani. Cynder then learns from Liara that three of the pieces of the armor suit she is after were destroyed during the Dragon Civil War, but that she has a time machine that is set to moments before each of those pieces destroyed. After claiming one from Warfang, she learns that another piece was destroyed by her ancestor while she was corrupted by Malefor. When Cynder III goes to claim this piece, Tera attacks Liara and is later imprisoned by her. The last piece was in the Dragon Temple, but also destroyed when the volcanoes nearby ruined the complex. When the Dragoness claims this, a volcanic eruption traps her inside; she escapes by crossing over into Volingarde, but is sent back to her time upon leaving. She then learns that the last piece is at the massive city-station that served as capital to the Precursor Ecumae, but who's location has been lost. Liara believes the eldest dragon on their home world, the Chronicler, knows where it is. Liara tells the dragoness to use the Realm of Convexity to access her home world. When Cynder III forces an exit portal to open from inside the realm, it violently tosses her into the Dragon Temple's ruins, severely injuring her.when the High Council notice this, they send Neyla to revive her, stating that even though Zarasha could inherit the Emerald Throne, that she is past her reproductive age and thus when she dies the bloodline would end unless they successfully revive Cynder III, and bring her back to Warfang. Neyla finds Cynder III having managed to get to her feet despite her injuries, and found a small ruby cluster, which partially heals her. Neyla, however, has bought a large ruby cluster, and through an ancient ritual heals the dragoness, who then convinces Neyla to follow her to Bonestellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting, warning that the High Council have become incompetent. When Xinxala appears, Cynder makes the panther-lady follow her also. Neyla follows Cynder III only because she believes it will help convince Makayla that the Tyran Civilization will destroy New Atlantis after they have devolved the Dragons back to a pre-industrial society. After seeing The Liberian perform a ritual that binds Cynder III to the Mantle, they head for New Atlantis in the Precursor warship.